1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lures and other attractive devices for fish and game, and more specifically to a buoyant fishing lure which is directionally controllable by the angler using the lure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sport fishing is a tremendously popular pastime for many people, with new equipment and variations upon such equipment being developed regularly in attempts to maximize the efficiency of attracting and catching various species of fish. Fishing lures are probably the most commonly developed and refined articles of fishing equipment, with various types of lures having been developed which mimic the appearance or action of various types of prey (minnows, insects, etc.), and/or provide various colors, motions, reflectivity, sounds, etc., which are believed to attract various species of fish under various environments and conditions.
One nearly universal attribute of these various fishing lures of the prior art, is that they are laterally symmetrical, with recovery of the lure after casting resulting in the lure returning in an essentially straight line back to the angler, or more precisely to the tip of the angler""s fishing rod. While external conditions (e.g., surface wind, tide and/or current, etc.) may affect the path of the lure, these external factors are not controllable by the angler. For example, a lure cast and retrieved across a current flowing from left to right (relative to the angler), will consistently drift toward the angler""s right during retrieval of the lure; the angler has no control over this drift.
Some lures provide some lateral movement through the water, relative to the direction of retrieval. Lures simulating xe2x80x9ccripplexe2x80x9d minnows, for example, may produce some variable lateral movement to the left and right relative to the retrieval path. However, the result is a random, meandering path, with no control over the precise path of the lure being available to the angler.
This can be a major problem in sport fishing for small game fish, as oftentimes such fish are found in areas with snags, weeds, and other obstructions between the angler and the desired location of the lure cast. Conventional lures having an essentially straight return path to the angler, will be drawn through such obstructions and are nearly certain to snag upon the obstructions. As a result, some prime fishing spots are precluded from access to anglers, due to such obstructions and the near certainty of losing the lure.
Also, a study of smaller prey fish, insects, etc. which are common food for smaller game fish (bass, etc.) will show that they generally do not maintain a given direction of travel through or over the water for any appreciable time or distance. An object traveling straight through the water is often dismissed by fish which would otherwise be attracted to the object, due to its unrealistic and artificial travel path.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a directionally controllable fishing lure which produces a curved or arcuate travel path along the surface of the water, with the direction of curvature being selected by the angler. The present lure is laterally asymmetrical, and includes leader attachment means at opposite ends thereof. Depending upon the end of the lure to which the leader or line is attached, the present lure will turn to either the left or the right. This selective turning action enables an angler to place the lure as desired to retrieve it around obstructions as necessary, and also produces a retrieval path which is more attractive to fish due to its more natural action than that produced by a straight line retrieval.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,239,956 issued on Sep. 11, 1917 to Willis E. Phinney, titled xe2x80x9cArtificial Bait,xe2x80x9d describes a lure with a generally vertically oriented leader attachment plate at its forward end. The plate includes a series of leader attachment holes along its upper and lower edges. Depending upon the hole in which the leader is installed, the Phinney lure will dive or rise in the water. However, the plate is laterally angularly offset as well, thus producing some degree of lateral offset for the leader attachment, depending upon the specific attachment hole used. This will cause the Phinney lure to xe2x80x9cwabblexe2x80x9d (page 2, line 11) when drawn through the water, according to the Phinney disclosure. However, this lateral movement or xe2x80x9cwabble,xe2x80x9d is not consistent, as is the consistently curved path of the present directionally controllable lure. Moreover, the lateral angular offset of the Phinney leader attachment plate provides a lateral pull in only one direction, and cannot be reversed. The present lure provides two different hydrodynamic faces at opposite ends of the lure, which may be selectively connected to a fishing leader or line for the angler to choose the direction of turn for the lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,394,313 issued on Oct. 18, 1921 to Henry T. Leeper, titled xe2x80x9cArtificial Bait,xe2x80x9d describes a lure body having forward and rearward ends sloped respectively forwardly and downwardly and rearwardly and downwardly. Leader attachment eyes are provided at the upper and lower ends of each of these sloped ends. Attachment of the leader to one of the given eyes, results in some predetermined diving reaction as the sloped end deflects downwardly in the water. However, the Leeper lure is laterally symmetrical, and no suggestion is made to apply the angled ends to a laterally asymmetrical lure for causing the lure to turn, as provided by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,807,283 issued on May 26, 1931 to Howard J. Dick, titled xe2x80x9cMultiple Body Artificial Fish Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having a single frame configuration into which a variety of different lure bodies may be placed interchangeably. The forward end of the frame includes a downwardly and forwardly sloped face, which is known to cause a lure to dive downwardly as it is drawn through the water, due to hydrodynamic action. However, the lure of the patent to Dick makes no suggestion of any lateral asymmetry to cause the lure to seek a laterally curved path through the water, let alone any means for the angler to select the direction of the curved path, as provided by the present lure invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,159,591 issued on May 23, 1939 to V. William Leusch et al., titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having leader or line attachment eyes at each end thereof. One end has a downwardly and forwardly inclined plate, while the opposite end has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined concave face. Both ends cause the lure to dive when drawn through the water with the leader attached thereto. However, Leusch et al. state that the two ends produce different lateral movements, depending upon which is forwardmost when moving through the water. Leusch et al. describe a xe2x80x9clateral shifting or whipping of the rear end of the lure bodyxe2x80x9d (page 2, lines 15-16) and a xe2x80x9clateral darting movementxe2x80x9d (page 2, lines 30-31), depending upon which end of the lure to which the line is attached, but the Leusch et al. lure is laterally symmetrical, unlike the present lure, and thus cannot sustain a steady, regular, consistently curved path as can the present lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,488 issued on Jan. 20, 1942 to John M. Withey, titled xe2x80x9cFish Bait,xe2x80x9d describes a double ended lure having a shallow inverted xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d shape when viewed from the side. Withey states that his lure will dive to a different depth depending upon which end to which the line or leader is attached, as his lure is not symmetrical longitudinally. However, the Withey lure is laterally symmetrical, and no consistent, steady turning motion is provided, as provided by the present lure. Withey only states that the rearward portion of his lure will xe2x80x9cswing to and fro horizontallyxe2x80x9d (page 2, column 1, lines 32-33) as the lure is drawn through the water, in much the same manner as the oscillations described in other patents noted further above.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,274,596 issued on Feb. 24, 1942 to Louis R. Fink, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Plug,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having a forwardly and downwardly inclined face and forwardly disposed ballast. The resulting action of the lure is to dive downwardly when pulled through the water. As the Fink lure is laterally symmetrical, no lateral movement is provided by its movement through the water, nor does Fink make any statement regarding the possibility of lateral movement with his lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,205 issued on Aug. 21, 1951 to William W. Culver, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having a truncated cylindrical body with a passage formed concentrically therethrough. The passage is blocked at the front end thereof by a downwardly and forwardly angled plate, and the lower center portion of the body is removed to form a hollow area communicating with the central passage. Culver states that his lure xe2x80x9cwill dart from one side to the otherxe2x80x9d (column 1, line 57 to column 2, line 1) when the lure is pulled sharply, yet further states that water entering the lower recess and exiting through the rearward portion of the central passage xe2x80x9cwill serve to stabilize the lurexe2x80x9d (column 2, lines 11-12). In any event, the Culver lure is laterally symmetrical, and Culver does not make any statement to the effect that his lure is capable of making a wide, consistent arcuate path in a predetermined direction selected by the angler, as is the case with the present directionally controllable fishing lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,779 issued on Aug. 9, 1955 to Glen P. Heiner, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a laterally symmetrical lure body having a forwardly and downwardly inclined front face and a rearwardly and downwardly inclined tail. A plurality of different eyes are provided for the attachment of a fishing line or leader, and/or hooks as desired. The Heiner lure may be drawn through the water in either direction, with Heiner stating that the will have an xe2x80x9coscillating movement (column 2, lines 43-44) when drawn forwardly and will xe2x80x9coscillate, vibrate, or spinxe2x80x9d (column 2, lines 46-47) when drawn rearwardly through the water. Due to the laterally symmetrical configuration of the Heiner lure, it cannot provide a uniform, steady curved path in a predetermined direction as selected by the angler, as provided by the present directionally controllable lure, nor does Heiner make any statement or claim to this effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,817,181 issued on Dec. 24, 1957 to James C. Bartlett, titled xe2x80x9cFish Lures,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having a longitudinally cambered body shape with a forwardly and downwardly inclined front face, as in most of the other lures of the related art. Bartlett states that the angled front face of his lure causes the lure to descend through the water, as is the case with the lures of Culver, Heiner, and others discussed further above. Bartlett also states that his lure produces a xe2x80x9cpeculiar zigzag travelxe2x80x9d (column 2, line 5) when drawn through the water, but the laterally symmetrical lure body cannot produce any consistent arcuate path in a direction predetermined by the angler, as provided by the present directionally controllable lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,775 issued on Aug. 9, 1966 to David J. Nahigian, titled xe2x80x9cFish Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a solid lure body which moves xe2x80x9cfrom side to side or in a wobbling actionxe2x80x9d (column 2, line 21). The lure is formed of a relatively flat piece of dense material, and has a flat upper surface and laterally convex curved lower surface. The two ends are truncated at an angle rearwardly from right to left. The right to left orientation holds true, regardless of the end of the lure to which the leader is attached, as the two truncated ends are parallel to one another, unlike the present lure. The lower surface is beveled, to form a relatively narrow forward and rearward edge. As noted above, Nahigian states that his lure wobbles when drawn through the water, rather than following a consistent curved path in a direction as predetermined by the angler, as provided by the present fishing lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,070 issued on Apr. 21, 1970 to Anthony Rossello, titled xe2x80x9cArtificial Fish Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a generally cylindrical lure body having a concentric passage therethrough. An anchor wire passes laterally through the body and passage, with a fishing line or leader attachment wire secured around the anchor wire. The leader attachment wire can slide laterally or diametrically along the anchor wire, permitting the lure body to move angularly and laterally about the leader attachment wire to an extent limited by the diameter of the interior passage. As the Rossello lure body is axially symmetrical, no consistent difference in hydrodynamic force is applied to one side or the other. Thus, while the Rossello lure may oscillate in the water, it cannot provide a consistent arcuate path in a predetermined direction as selected by the angler, as can the present fishing lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,826 issued on Aug. 21, 1979 to Phares H. Metzler et al., titled xe2x80x9cSalmon Jig,xe2x80x9d describes a non-buoyant lure having a lateral bend in the body thereof. The Metzler et al. lure is adapted to sink for fishing on or near the bottom, unlike the present buoyant lure. Moreover, Metzler et al. are silent regarding any ability of their lure to travel a predetermined arcuate path, as can the present lure. In fact, Metzler et al. only state that their lure has only a xe2x80x9cwobbling actionxe2x80x9d (column 4, line 27) when drawn through the water. In addition, the Metzler lure, while being laterally asymmetrical, is also longitudinally asymmetrical and has no provision for reversing the fishing line or leader attachment end, as provided by the present fishing lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,452 issued on Jul. 29, 1986 to Kenneth Reid, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure With Angled End Faces And Rotatable On The Line,xe2x80x9d describes a non-buoyant lure for fishing below the surface. The lure has a slight helical twist and opposite truncated end faces, which produce a rotation about the axis defined by the fishing leader or line attached to the lure. The Reid lure is not longitudinally symmetrical, and Reid states that different rotational rates are achieved at a given speed through the water, depending upon which end of the lure is used as the forwardmost end. However, Reid does not make any statement regarding the ability of his lure to travel in an arcuate path predetermined by the angler, as provided by the present directionally controllable lure, and in fact the rotation of the Reid lure about the line or leader axis would preclude any control over any resulting turning effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,770 issued on Jul. 23, 1996 to John M. Storm et al., titled xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Altering Fishing Lures,xe2x80x9d describes the selective addition of small weights to the exterior of a fishing lure, for causing the lure to perform in specific ways as it is drawn through the water (e.g., adding weight to the front will cause the lure to dive, etc.). Storm et al. also describe the selective addition of weight to the left or right side of a flat protrusion or xe2x80x9cbillxe2x80x9d at the front of the lure, and state that such additional weight causes the lure to turn to the left or right (column 5, lines 15-18). However, it appears that the amount or degree of turning action, if any, is highly dependent upon the exterior shape of the lure and its resultant hydrodynamic action. A streamlined body with no lateral planes or protrusions, would appear unlikely to produce any form of turning movement, regardless of the asymmetric addition of weights thereto. Also, the Storm et al. lure is not reversible, as is the present lure. The present directionally controllable lure is much easier to adjust insofar as the direction of travel is concerned, as the angler need only disconnect the swivel snap or other connector from one end of the lure, remove any hook(s) attached to the opposite end, and reverse their connections end to end. Storm et al. note that their method is not easily accomplished, as they describe the need for an angler to experiment with different amounts and locations of weights in order to obtain the desired results.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,632 issued on Jun. 17, 1997 to Donald L. Smith, titled xe2x80x9cArtificial Fishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having a relatively thin body with a sinusoidal curve along its length. The curve and longitudinal asymmetry result in the Smith lure producing a lateral oscillating action or a rolling action, depending upon the specific shape, ballasting, etc. The curve of the body of the Smith lure causes it to turn in a direction toward the concave curvature, but as the lure is oscillating or rolling in the water, the arcuate path is always changing and cancels out over the long run as the lure is retrieved. In contrast, the present lure is ballasted to maintain a constant orientation and thus a consistent curved path through the water. Also, the Smith lure is not reversible end to end, as provided by the present lure.
British Patent Publication No. 590,865 accepted on Jul. 30, 1947 to Alexander C. Clarke, titled xe2x80x9cImprovements In Or Relating To Artificial Baits Or Lures For Fish,xe2x80x9d describes a ballasted, streamlined lure body having a downwardly and rearwardly turned plate at the rearward end thereof, with a relatively high mounted leader attachment eye at the front. The arrangement causes the lure to produce a xe2x80x9cside to side, rolling motionxe2x80x9d (page 2, lines 60-61). Clarke is silent regarding any ability of his lure to make any form of consistent, continuous turning path while drawn through the water, as can the present directionally controllable lure. Moreover, the Clarke lure is laterally symmetrical and is not reversible end to end, as is the present lure.
Finally, Canadian Patent Publication No. 677,357 issued on Jan. 7, 1964 to Edgar A. Dorsett, titled xe2x80x9cArtificial Fishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having multiple air and water chambers therein. At least one chamber communicates with at least one other chamber, with the chambers progressively filling with water as the lure is jerked through the water. Initially, the Dorsett lure floats, but after a few jerks on the line, the chambers become sufficiently filled with water to cause the lure to sink. However, as the Dorsett lure is laterally symmetrical, no lateral movement is provided, whereas the present directionally controllable lure turns in a consistent, preselected arcuate path when retrieved.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention comprises a directionally controllable buoyant fishing lure which enables an angler to select the desired direction of movement (i.e., to the left or right) as the lure is drawn through the water, by selectively connecting the fishing leader or line to one or the other of the two ends of the lure. The present directionally controllable lure has a buoyant lure body with angularly truncated faces at each of the two ends thereof. The lure is ballasted, in order to have an upper portion which remains constantly upright, and an opposite constantly downwardly disposed bottom portion. The two truncated ends are formed at some non-perpendicular angle to the axis of the lure (preferably about forty five degrees), and thus produce a lateral deflection when the present lure is drawn through the water.
However, the two ends are not parallel to one another, but are angled in opposite directions. The two ends of the lure are reversible, so that the fishing leader or line may be secured to either end as desired. Thus, attachment of the leader or line to the end which is angled forwardly and to the left, will cause the lure to turn to the left (as viewed from the path of the lure) when drawn through the water, with the opposite face being angled in the opposite direction and producing a turn to the right when drawn through the water. The present lure may be formed in various different cross sectional shapes of various materials as desired, so long as its buoyancy is maintained. The end opposite the leader attachment end may be used for the attachment of a hook, if desired.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved directionally controllable fishing lure which turns in a regular, consistent, curved path when drawn through the water by an angler.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved directionally controllable lure which curved path may be selected to either the left or to the right by the angler, by connecting the fishing leader or line to one or the other of the two ends of the lure.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved directionally controllable lure having a ballasted, buoyant lure body which maintains a constant orientation about its longitudinal axis when drawn through the water, and which does not produce any significant rolling action about its longitudinal axis.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved directionally controllable lure in which opposite ends have truncated faces, with the faces being angled in opposite directions relative to the direction of movement of the lure through the water, and with the resulting hydrodynamic action upon the forwardly disposed face causing the lure to turn in a predetermined direction, depending upon which end is disposed forwardly.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved directionally controllable lure which rearward end may be used for the attachment of a fishing hook thereto, if so desired.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which are inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing their intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification and drawings.